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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has restated its commitment to road safety in Nigeria, saying it will not be overwhelmed by the challenges posed by the six-week closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and subsequent diversion of air traffic to Kaduna International Airport to allow for necessary rehabilitation of the runways.
The closure of the Abuja airport has heightened traffic movement along Abuja-Kaduna road and this naturally created challenges of traffic management along the corridor thus tasking the capacity of the FRSC to effectively manage the traffic situation along the routes.
But the Corps said it is responding to the challenges as the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, announced last month the establishment of eight additional outposts and four ambulance points at the strategic locations along the routes from Idu in the FCT up to Kaduna airport in Kaduna State.
The Corps Marshal made the announcement last month while briefing the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on the level of preparedness of the FRSC to tackle the challenges of increased human and vehicular traffic in the aftermath of the diversion of air traffic from Abuja airport to Kaduna. He described the fortification of the corridor with the array of facilities and personnel deployed to man the road against road carnage as the best example of how FRSC hopes to deploy its facilities along other major highways in the country. He further disclosed that the Corps is planning to replicate such facilities across the country in the continuing determination to promptly and efficiently respond to distress calls on the highways.
“What we have put on ground on Abuja-Kaduna road presently represents the ideal that the FRSC intends to replicate on other major corridors across the country. moreover, even when the Abuja airport is reopened the facilities would remain on ground to continue to serve the people using the road,” Oyeyemi stated.
With the full commencement of the operations, the Corps Marshal undertook a familiarisation tour of the facilities and has been repeating such visits almost on weekly basis, as he did recently when he charged the staff deployed for the assignment to discharge their functions responsibly, warning them not take their roles for granted. He enjoined them to rather see their assignment as a further demonstration of the FRSC’s commitment to the nation building efforts of the present administration. On drivers violating the lane rules, the Corps Marshal directed the staff to put a stop to the practice by ensuring that adequate enlightenment and enforcement measures are put in place to deter violators. He enjoined the staff to be civil, but firm in their approach to duties, warning that cases of intimidation, harassment and incivility towards offenders would not be tolerated by the Management.
He added, however, that no offender must be allowed to commit the traffic offence with impunity without being appropriately sanctioned. “You must continue to demonstrate the ideals of civility adopted by the FRSC in its enforcement strategies. But no one must be made to take the Corps’ civility for weakness. Therefore, carry out your assignments with efficiency and effectiveness without fear or favour,” the Corps Marshal charged the staff.
On the hospitality of the host communities, the Corps Marshal applauded the people for exhibiting spirit of collaboration and high level of hospitality which saw some of them providing accommodation and other facilities to the Corps to enhance smooth take off and operations of the outposts and Ambulance points. He also charged the staff to reciprocate the gestures by exhibiting community consciousness and identification with the aspirations of the people of the communities for development of their areas to ensure peaceful and harmonious living.
Evaluating the available medical facilities for treatment of crash victims rescued by FRSC Rescue teams who may require further medical attention, the Corps Marshal expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the Kaduna state government for renovating and equipping the Doka Medical Centre. According to him, with the location of the Medical Centre and provision of the necessary medical facilities, the fear of where to take rescued crash victims by FRSC Rescue teams to for more medical assistance has been allayed. He noted that the location of Medical Centre and its rehabilitation by the Kaduna state government is a commendable initiative that would go a long way in supporting the safer roads campaigns of the FRSC.
While restating the commitment of the FRSC to the success of the Federal Government’s plans to ensure a hitch-free rehabilitation work at the Abuja airport, the Corps Marshal assured that the Corps will not fail in its responsibilities of ensuring safety for all users of the road during and after the closure. He however appealed for cooperation from members of the public especially the drivers, not to undermine the safety measures put in place to address free movement of people, saying road safety is a shared responsibility.
Oyeyemi particularly warned drivers to avoid speeding, overloading and lane indiscipline, stressing that with the level of preparedness of the FRSC to ensure full compliance with the traffic rules and regulations, whoever falls short of the safety rules must be prepared to face the sanctions. He therefore, stressed that as air travellers go through some unavoidable discomforts of the temporal closure of Abuja airport in anticipation of improved facilities at the airport, everyone must see the temporal sacrifice as worthwhile by cooperating with all the relevant security agencies mobilised to ensure maximum safety and security for the people.
While appealing for support and cooperation towards the success of the exercise, Oyeyemi said: “The responsibility for ensuring safety and security of the people does not lie with a particular agency, no matter how efficient; but all the people, who should readily join hands to achieve the safety and security goals for the happiness of all.”
Source: FRSC News
